7,100 National Grid gas customers on Aquidneck Island without heat

By Providence Journal and Newport Daily News reports

Tuesday

Jan 22, 2019 at 10:44 AM

NEWPORT — A natural gas shutdown on Aquidneck Island left 7,100 National Grid customers, mostly in Newport, without heat Monday night as temperatures hovered in the single digits. The utility warned that restoring gas service would likely be “multi-day” effort.

Public health and safety concerns over the bitterly cold weather spurred local officials to open warming centers, and Newport Public Schools canceled classes for Tuesday.

Gov. Gina M. Raimondo declared a state of emergency in Newport County for the National Grid customers whose gas has been shut off.

“If you do not have heat this evening, do not stay in your homes tonight,” she said at an 11 p.m. news conference call from R.I. Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Cranston.

The R.I. National Guard will help people without heat get somewhere warm. People can call 211 and “we will come and get you.”

“If you can call Uber or Lyft,” or a friend or relative, “get yourself a ride to a hotel, save the receipt, and National Grid will reimburse you.”

CCRI in Newport will be open 24 hours as a warming center, and so will the University of Rhode Island.

“Folks may have already gone to sleep,” she said, “I’m asking you, pick up the phone” to inform anyone frail or elderly or who might not have heard that without heat their home is not safe.

The Newport Marriott is the operations center for the emergency response.

National Grid said it began suspending the service to its customers “out of an abundance of caution” Monday night, adding that the interruption was caused by a “transmission supply issue” with gas supplier Algonguin Gas Transmission Co. The problem stems from a “low gas pressure situation,” National Grid said.

The utility said it was deploying 1,000 workers to shut off the gas service at each customer meter while it fixes the problem. About 6,800 of the affected customers are in Newport.

“The safety of our customers and the communities we serve is our number one priority and concern, and National Grid is working around-the-clock to safely and reliably restore service,” Tim Horan, president of National Grid Rhode Island, said in a statement Monday night.

A warming center opened at Gaudet Middle School in Middletown, while others opened at Donovan Manor and Newport Heights in Newport. National Grid said the company will reimburse room costs for customers “desiring lodging.”

Temperatures were to remain in the single digits until Tuesday morning and rise into the 20s. The weather forecast calls for warmer air returning to the area on Wednesday, when temperatures in the 40s are expected.

The Potter League for Animals announced it would take in pets at its Oliphant Lane shelter for those forced out of their homes overnight to seek an alternative place to stay.

“The extreme cold is a major concern for us and we apologize for this significant disruption. We encourage all to check on the elderly and your neighbors and ensure you have a plan to stay warm,” Horan said.

National Grid said it working closely with local officials and state officials, including the state Emergency Management Agency.

Newport Public Schools announced on Facebook that classes on Tuesday were canceled “due to the heating situation the buildings are experiencing” related to the gas outage. “The School Department will keep families updated as best as possible on Tuesday regarding any future school closures,” the post said.

Salve Regina University, in a post on Twitter, announced that classes on Tuesday were canceled, though the school will be open for “normal business.”

National Grid said it became aware of a loss of pressure on the transmission system that delivers gas into its distribution system around 11 a.m. Monday.

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